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Iowa Maid Rites are incredibly delicious loose meat sandwiches that are full of flavor. An easy recipe that starts on the stove and finishes to perfection in the crock pot. A great dish for family dinners or pot lucks!
I'm doing my home state proud! If you didn't already know, Iowa is famous for Maid Rites. The first maid rite was created in Iowa at a little walk up restaurant actually called Maid-Rite. A little Iowa history for you. Growing up, I remember having these bad boys for lunch at school. The lunch ladies served the maid rites on homemade chewy buns which were my favorite buns ever!! They were one of my favorite school lunches as a kid.
This is my version of the famous sandwich. When I make these Iowa Maid Rites, I reminisce how school lunches were when I was kid with my kids. Whether you have memories attached to this sandwich or not, you should give them a try. You will be hooked, they are so delicious!
This post was originally posted on 4/9/2015 and updated on 8/25/2020.
Ingredients Needed for Iowa Maid Rites
- Olive Oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Lean Ground Beef
- Salt and Pepper
- Beef Bouillon
- Beef Broth
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Pickle Slices for serving
- Hamburger Buns
Best Way to Serve Loose Meat Sandwiches
My favorite way to eat these is with only pickles. The old fashioned way! No other condiments are necessary. Serve em up on your favorite bun. I like chewy buns and gourmet buns for these special sandwiches. You want a strong bun that won't get soggy from the juice of the meat.
This recipe is perfect for pot lucks, "I don't feel like cooking days", and hot summer days when you don't want to turn on your oven. Plus, in the summer you can kick the kids outside to eat and avoid any mess. Because lets be honest, these are not clean eating sandwiches. You will need a lot of napkins and a spoon to catch the meat that falls out. They are so incredibly worth it! This sandwich is literally going to melt in your mouth!
How to Make the Famous Maid Rites from Iowa
This is a very easy recipe that starts on the stove and finishes in the crock pot. A great dish to make in the morning and have ready when you get home on busy nights.
Step 1:
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat and saute the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant.
Step 2:
Add the beef to the skillet, crumble and brown until no longer pink. Stir in salt and pepper and drain any fat if needed.
Step 3:
Add the beef mixture to a crock pot along with the beef bouillon, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and vinegar. Stir it all to combine.
Step 4:
Cook the maid rites on low for at least 3-4 hours. If you plan to leave it on warm or low longer than 4 hours, add an extra ½ cup of beef broth to the mixture so it doesn't dry out.
How to Freeze Maid Rites
This is a very freezer friendly meal. If you want to make it ahead and freeze, add all the ingredients to the pan after the beef has been cooked and drained of any fat. Stir it up, remove from heat and let cool completely. Once cooled add the maid rites to a freezer safe container or zip top bag and freeze. When ready to cook, thaw it overnight, add to crock pot and follow with the cooking instructions.
Need some more easy family friendly dinner ideas? Check out these recipes!
- Beef Bolognese made in Crock Pot
- Instant Pot Pulled Pork Sandwiches
- Crock Pot Whole Chicken
- Instant Pot Drip Beef Sandwiches
- Easy Tomato Soup
- Family Favorite Sloppy Joes
- Oven Fried Chicken Legs
Give these amazing and famous Iowa Maid Rites a try and let me know how much you enjoyed them in the comments below! Pictures encouraged on Instagram with the hashtag #heathershomemadekitchen You can also follow me on Social Media to see what other crazy things my family and I are doing! If you like what you see, please share with your friends and family!
Don’t forget to pin the recipe for later!
Iowa Maid Rites
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced very small-almost minced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- Buns and sliced pickles for serving.
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet with deep sides over medium heat.
- Add onion, and saute until transluecent.
- Add garlic, saute one more minute until fragrant.
- Add beef, salt and pepper. Brown beef until no longer pink, drain any fat.
- Add beef mix to a crock pot.
- Combine together beef bouillon, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar.
- Pour over beef and stir to combine.
- Cook on low for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Serve on sturdy buns.
Louise Kant says
Heather, Maidrites cannot be beat! My husband and I have loved them since the middle 50s. When I found the recipe many many long years ago our whole family loved them. Now I make them for most large gathering celebrations and everyone loves them! Thanks for sharing a wonderful and tasty memory. Louise
Heather Warburton says
You're so welcome! Thank you for your kind words. 🙂
Terry Sprung says
Heather, I like maidrites too. Haven't made them for a long time-thanks for sharing. School lunches weren't that bad expecially if you had some of the older ladies as cooks. They made homemade buns to go with them. Agree with you only need pickles.
Heather Warburton says
You're welcome! Come back and let me know if they are how you remembered them as well!